Rules Help!

[cshaw33]

Hi there, quick question hopefully.

If I put my ball in the woods on the tee, and play a provisional (just in case I can't find my 1st) and cream that down the middle of the fairway, if I find my 1st one, do I have to play it, or can I take the provisional (next shot being the 4th shot)?

I have checked the R&A website but I couldn't find anything which tells me about losing, then finding my 1st ball. I think that once you play your provisional past the point of the "lost" 1st ball, then that's the ball in play...?

 

[cbetofop]

Try this Cshaw

http://www.golfcircuit.com/rules/situation.asp?id=106

 

[freddielong]

no you have to play your first ball the other one only comes into play if you loose your first there is no choice.

That said if you don't won't to find it do not look for it

 

[Robobum]

I have checked the R&A website but I couldn't find anything which tells me about losing, then finding my 1st ball.

Have you tried the rules book or the decisions book, both are on line. Seems fairly straight forward to me.

 

[jammydodger]

Freddie is right, you find the first one then thats the one in play.

 

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
Could you not declare your first ball unplayable and use the provisional or just run up and hit it before anyone has a chance to look for the other one.
Mike

 

[freddielong]

Hi,
Could you not declare your first ball unplayable and use the provisional or just run up and hit it before anyone has a chance to look for the other one.
Mike

No if you declared your original ball unplayable, and wanted to play again from the original spot, you would have to go back to the tee and play another ball you could not use your provisional ball, the best thing would be not to look for it

 

[Twire]

Another option if you don't want to look for your first ball, is don't call provisional and play 3 off the tee.

 

[justhitthething]

I have checked the R&A website but I couldn't find anything which tells me about losing, then finding my 1st ball.

Have you tried the rules book or the decisions book, both are on line. Seems fairly straight forward to me.

A little bit harsh that.
I never thought I would see 'rules book', 'decisions book' and 'fairly straight forward' in the same sentance.

This particular set of rules is often confusing. I played a guy last week who hit his ball into trees, played a provisional into the middle of the fairway. He then found his original ball. He declared it unplayable and tried to proceed as follows. Either, drop under penalty within 2 club lengths NNTH. Drop as far back as you like keeping the point where the ball landed between you and the hole, or replay a ball from the original place.

He believed he could use the ball that was in the fairway as his 'three off the tee' I disagreed and insisted that as hed called it provisional and had found his ball, it was now dead and he must walk back to the tee and play another. I was the only one in a fourball of sub 12 handicappers who took this view. It took a lot of research after the game to prove to them I was right.
Just saying read the rules is less than helpful.

 

[Robobum]

A little bit harsh that.

I don't think so, whilst Freddie has given the correct info to him what's to say that he was way off the mark and the OP went away with wrong info??

Granted, some of the more obscure stuff in the books can be hard to find and decipher clearly but this isn't one of them.

Rule 27. Ball lost or out of bounds; Provisional ball.

Can't be any more obvious can it??

 

[Tommo21]

Another option if you don't want to look for your first ball, is don't call provisional and play 3 off the tee.

You cant have it both ways. The prov ball is for the eventually that you cant find the original ball. You must declare it a provisional ball before you hit it, if you don’t, the second ball you hit off the tee is the ball in play.

I have reservations about declaring a prov ball then not looking at all. The reason I say that is, if you hit a bad prov ball then it makes you more concerned about finding the first ball and abandoning the poor provisional. In other words, if you hit a good prov then walk up the fairway and declare you first ball lost without looking then you really should say so on the tee and declare it lost, especially if you have no intention of looking in the first place. Provisional’s are there for when you cant find the original ball, not for giving you multi choices after you hit it.

I hope someone can confirm this.

 

[Twire]

Another option if you don't want to look for your first ball, is don't call provisional and play 3 off the tee.

You cant have it both ways. The prov ball is for the eventually that you cant find the original ball. You must declare it a provisional ball before you hit it, if you don’t, the second ball you hit off the tee is the ball in play.

Is that not what I've just said?.........If you don't declare provisional on the tee, then thats the ball in play.

 

[viscount17]

Another option if you don't want to look for your first ball, is don't call provisional and play 3 off the tee.

exactly as stated by the R&A 'advisor' to the BBC coverage at the Open, but do it before a helpful 'friend' finds the first.

I have to say that I thought this 'advice' to be skating pretty damn near the edge of cheating. Defo stretching rules to breaking point.

 

[Tommo21]

I have checked the R&A website but I couldn't find anything which tells me about losing, then finding my 1st ball.

Have you tried the rules book or the decisions book, both are on line. Seems fairly straight forward to me.

A little bit harsh that.
I never thought I would see 'rules book', 'decisions book' and 'fairly straight forward' in the same sentance.

This particular set of rules is often confusing. I played a guy last week who hit his ball into trees, played a provisional into the middle of the fairway. He then found his original ball. He declared it unplayable and tried to proceed as follows. Either, drop under penalty within 2 club lengths NNTH. Drop as far back as you like keeping the point where the ball landed between you and the hole, or replay a ball from the original place.

He believed he could use the ball that was in the fairway as his 'three off the tee' I disagreed and insisted that as hed called it provisional and had found his ball, it was now dead and he must walk back to the tee and play another. I was the only one in a fourball of sub 12 handicappers who took this view. It took a lot of research after the game to prove to them I was right.
Just saying read the rules is less than helpful.

The above quote is right you can't use the prov ball when you find the origonal and dont fancy the situation. You just can't have multi options like this.

 

[Tommo21]

Another option if you don't want to look for your first ball, is don't call provisional and play 3 off the tee.

You cant have it both ways. The prov ball is for the eventually that you cant find the original ball. You must declare it a provisional ball before you hit it, if you don’t, the second ball you hit off the tee is the ball in play.

Is that not what I've just said?.........If you don't declare provisional on the tee, then thats the ball in play.

Sorry, yes you are right. I get the feeling some on here think otherwise.

 

[sfby]

You can't choose your provisional in a "ball unplayable" situation - only if it's lost. If you find the ball & decide it's unplayable, your options include stroke & distance BUT if you choose this you must play another from your last position - giving you a fair chance of ******** up that shot too!

 

[cshaw33]

Thanks for all the replies guys! Very helpful!

 

[sfby]

- giving you a fair chance of ******** up that shot too!

Apologies Mr. Moderator - I thought I had enough ***s in my original post! (And it didn't begin with "F")

Obviously a sensitive lot on here!

 

[Dave3498]

This particular set of rules is often confusing. I played a guy last week who hit his ball into trees, played a provisional into the middle of the fairway. He then found his original ball. He declared it unplayable and tried to proceed as follows. Either, drop under penalty within 2 club lengths NNTH. Drop as far back as you like keeping the point where the ball landed between you and the hole, or replay a ball from the original place.

He doesn't have to go back to the original spot to replay the ball after declaring it unplayable. He can take either of the other two options under penalty of one stroke.

 

[Robobum]

........... In other words, if you hit a good prov then walk up the fairway and declare you first ball lost without looking then you really should say so on the tee and declare it lost, .......

You cannot declare a ball lost. I was accused of being unhelpful by saying read the rules in a previous post.....but it seems they really do need to be read, certainly one as basic as this.